[Elecraft] KX3 Field Day observations

[Barry LaZar]

I don't think I did, unless it was a default. I used my stereo headset 
and used the audio trick, which I think is a default, worked pretty 
well. Is that what you are speaking of?

I did come to really appreciate the way the tuner works. I won't give 
away what we were using for antennas as we want to keep our competitive 
edge, but the tuner really handled it well. I infer that there is tuner 
set memory for each band because the tuner seemed o be set after each 
band change.

Now for the really best part: I know about the test data from various 
sources for the K2 and K3. They say that the dynamic range is basically 
superb. Well that's all well and good, but live demos are better. 
Without giving away too much, the competitive edge, we had a line of 
~50' portable masts with an antenna on top and a wire antenna. From time 
to time the KX3 would be on one antenna ans the K2 on the other, 
separation ~10' and the antennas were cut for different bands. Both 
radios could operate with without being impaired by the other! Yes you 
could tell the other was transmitting, but that just amounted to a 
little local noise. However when we operated from antennas not on the 
same mast, up to 300' separation, you would have to look over to see 
what the other operator was doing, not too shabby for a kit and and 
store bought!! I can't say how the radios would have worked if both were 
on the same band under the same conditions as we worked so little phone 
that this condition never happened.

I have a real question. What do I really need to find to improve our 
operation??? I really need to ask even though I'm sure I can fine the 
answer in the manual, but I'm still brain dead from the weekend.

Vy 73,
Barry
K3NDM

On 6/25/2012 3:29 AM, Wayne Burdick wrote:
> Did you find about about APF in time to use it during FD?  :)
>
> Wayne
>
> On Jun 24, 2012, at 10:50 PM, k3ndm at comcast.net wrote:
>
>> I received my KX3 about a week ahead of FD. Therefore, I hadn't much 
>> experience with it. We were running 2A on solar power; the other rig 
>> was a K2.
>>
>> FWIW: The features in the KX3 allowed me to about double my QSO rate 
>> as compared to the K2 and other rigs I have used. My general 
>> impression is that the KX3 makes an ideal, or nearly so, FD radio. We 
>> ran 546 Q's on these two radios. Why didn't we do better? Operator 
>> fatigue. Had we had maybe three more operators we probably could have 
>> made 1000 Q's. And, we were QRP!!!
>>
>> What was amusing is the comment of one of our operators. He is a QRO 
>> contest op who likes to run full legal limit. He kept commenting that 
>> he couldn't believe what we were doing at 5W. Oh, yes. He owns a K3.
>>
>> Wayne/Eric,
>>      You guys done good!! The KX3 is a keeper!
>>
>> Vy 73,
>> Barry
>> K3NDM
>>
>> From: "Wayne Burdick" <n6kr at elecraft.com>
>> To: "Phillip Shepard" <phils at riousa.com>
>> Cc: "Elecraft Reflector" <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
>> Sent: Sunday, June 24, 2012 10:25:05 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX3 Field Day observations
>>
>> Thanks for the report, Phillip. We had two KX3s at our FD site (K6SRA)
>> with similar results.
>>
>> Regarding VFO tuning noise, did you try using RX SHFT on the affected
>> band(s)? This turns out to be very effective, especially in
>> combination with VFO NR. Both menu entries can be set up per-band, and
>> are typically needed only the highest bands.
>>
>> 73,
>> Wayne
>> N6KR
>>
>>
>> On Jun 24, 2012, at 5:34 PM, Phillip Shepard wrote:
>>
>> > Field Day this weekend was the first real test of my new KX3 (s/n
>> > 268).
>> > Before Saturday it had only seen light picnic table use and one SOTA
>> > peak
>> > activation.  How did I like it during FD?  This is one sweet little
>> > radio!
>> > I operated somewhat casually in a search and pounce mode, with 90%
>> > of the
>> > QSOs on CW and the rest on SSB.
>> >
>>
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